Local Knowledge in the Hands of Transnational NGO Networks: A Mexican Viewpoint
Author(s)
Dumoulin, David
Abstract
Transnational environmental NGOs (ENGOs) have played a leading role in furthering the cause of local knowledge of biodiversity, and indeed of most environmental issues, in national and international arenas. But it is impossible to present this as a unified drive, because the generic term “NGO” is now virtually meaningless. Focusing on the international roles and the internal workings of ENGOs, this article sets out to show how there have been three main blocs of actors since 1990: the epistemic community striving to safeguard cultural and biological diversity, the globalised nature reserves sector and the transnational advocacy networks. The fact that the local knowledge issue has entered international arenas through debate on the global environmental crisis is the key to understanding such knowledge. Furthermore, that understanding of “local” knowledge hinges on insight into the thinking behind the actions and the political stance of each of those three blocs of actors. Examining the interconnection between the international and the national – in this case, Mexican – contexts reveals how local knowledge has become an important issue-area, with significant political implications.
